Scholz and Friends’ Schmidt becomes WPP’s first German country-wide president

WPP appears to be following the Publicis ‘country manager’ route with the appointment of Franck-Michael Schmidt (below), CEO of its Scholz & Friends Family as the first president of its German business. Germany is WPP’s third biggest market after the US and UK. Scholz is aligned with VMLY&R.

Schmidt says: “I am delighted to become President of WPP in Germany and I see this first-ever appointment as a strong signal of the increasing importance of the German market.

“It is an exciting task to find common interests and to create common ground between our strong agency brands to unlock the full potential of WPP’s capabilities for the benefit of both our clients and our people.”

WPP CEO Mark Read says: “FM’s exceptional track record at Scholz & Friends Family, his valuable contribution to the WPP network over the last 24 years, and his extensive knowledge of the German market make him the natural fit for this important role in our third largest market.”